What Is My Day Rate?
I, as most all experienced commercial photographers and video producers, charge based on the scope of a project rather than a daily rate. Why?
New to hiring a photographer? That's completely fine - many people who reach out are doing this for the first time, often at their boss's request, without a image list, budget number or industry terms in hand yet. You don't need to have it all figured out before you contact me. Share whatever you know, and I'll help you work out the scope and a realistic budget from there. Chances are I've completed projects similar to your request and can help make your project a success.
Why Scope Matters More Than a Day Rate
Daily rates can be misleading. An accurate estimate depends on several factors: the specific tasks involved, the equipment required, the complexity of the project, lighting needs, and licensing, etc.
To get a precise estimate, I need detailed information about your project - for example, if video is involved, what's it for? What are the end goal objectives for the video?
Two projects can end up costing about the same even though they look very different on paper. One might take two full days and deliver 25 images. Another might wrap in a single day but require 25 retouched images. Both can land at the same price.
How is that possible? Because cost is driven by more than just time on-site:
• One project might need specialized equipment; another might not.
• One might require multiple assistants; another could proceed with none.
• One might involve work during non-standard hours.
• One might require eight hours of safety training just to capture a single image.
• Extensive retouching adds cost.
• A video project with audio interviews and a teleprompter costs differently than standard raw video capture.
In short, there's a lot more to project cost than a simple day rate, and relying on day rates alone often leads to higher invoices and budget overruns than expected.
A real example: if one photographer charges $3,000/day and another charges $1,500/day, the "cheaper" photographer's project can still end up costing $3,000 once all the other factors are accounted for.
What About a Half-Day Rate?
The same logic applies here. A project that takes two hours on-site but requires extensive retouching, image licensing, or specialized equipment can end up costing more than a project that takes four hours but needs none of that. Time on-site is only one piece of the puzzle, the same factors that make a full day rate misleading apply just as much to a half day.
A Day-Rate-Only Quote Is a Red Flag
If a photographer quotes only a day rate, it can be a sign of limited experience in commercial photography and videography, and a quote based on day rate alone is unlikely to hold up.
An inexperienced photographer may quote a low day rate to win the job, only to arrive on-site and demand your company pause production during the shoot. Halting production can carry hidden costs.
An experienced commercial photographer or videographer, by contrast, works efficiently and minimizes disruption to your operations.
So the real question is: what matters mor, a low day rate, or high-quality commercial photography and video that sets your company apart from the competition?
What I Offer
I provide accurate, customized quotes tailored to your specific project, and I work to keep production running smoothly without delays. My work is publication-quality and backed by a 100% written satisfaction guarantee.
Getting Started
Share whatever project details you have. If you're not sure about the specifics yet, that's okay, my experience can help guide you on what's needed and how to approach it.